Rotary motor



a, T. ASHLEY. ROTARY MOTOR. APPLICATION -FILED MAY 15. I918.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

RAYMOND 1*. ASHLEY, ammo; NEVADA.

ROTARY Moron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May-15, 1918. Serial N0.234,818.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND T. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Reno, county of Washoe, and

State of Nevada, have made a new anduse ful lnventionto wit, Improvements in Rotary Motors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description ofthe same.-

The present invention relates particularly to internal combustion rotary motors.

The objects of this invention are to pro duce a motor of this type, simple in cone struction and so combined and arranged that intake and compression are accomplished simultaneously by the same piston. objects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.

Referring to the drawing which forms a opposite sides of the stator annular heads 3 and 1' are bolted to the flanges 5-5 formed on the stator. A motor shaft 6 through the stator and through heads 3 and 4cand is journaled in bearings 7 and 8 mounted on said. covers respectively 1n spiders 9 formed on said covers. A rotor 10 is keyed on shaft 6 within the stator 1. d The rotor comprises an intermedlate hollow castinc; 11, formed with a central hub 12 through which the shaft 6 extends, spokes 13 radian ing from said hub, a peripheral run 14 joined to the extremities of said spokes, and a pair of plates 14: and 15 secured to the sides of casting 11 and formed with hubs 16 through which shaft 6 extends which hubs are keyed to said shaft. The periphery of the rotor rim 14 is formed with concentric arcs 17 which approximate packingcontact' with the internal periphery of the stator,

and with eccentric portions 18 which. ext-end Other extends co-axially inwardly from the internal periphery of the stator forming combustion chambers 19 between the stator peripheral wall and said eccentric rim portions, and forming rotor pistons 18 which are acted upon by the ex pansion of gas in said conibustion chambers, to rotate said rotor.

One or more planetary cylinder-carriers 20 are rotatably journaled in the rotor entirely eccentric to the rotor shaft and approximately internally tangent to the arcuate portions 17 of the rotor and each of said cylinder-carriers carries a diametrical cylinder 21 open at its ends. The cylindercarriers are provided with elongated interchangeable inlet-or-outlet ports 22 communicati g with the open ends ofthe cylinders 21, said ports'being elongated substantially parallel to the shaft 6. The rotor shaft is provided with a fuel conduit which; communicates with the source of fuel supply, and is also provided with an axially elongated port 24c leading from said conduit and adapted to register with one of the cylinder carrier'ports22 when the cylinder of the carrier extends radially to the rotor shaft, thus admitting fuel into the cylinder. Outlet ports 25 are provided in the arcuate portions 17 of therotor rim, with which one of the cylinder-carrier inlet-or-outlet ports 22 registers when the cylinder of the can riers extends radially to the rotor shaft. The outlet ports 25 are equal in width to the carrier; ports 22 but are not elongated. The cylinder-carriers 20 are journaled in the r0 tor bymeans of-'aXial trunnions 26 extending outwardly from the carriers and bearings 2? in the rotor plates 14 and 15 in which beai ings the trunnions are journaled.

The reciprocating pistons 28 are mounted in the cylinders 21, the ends of the pistons conforming to the arc of the carrlers 20 evtendingjover the ends of the cylinders. A11

intermittent movement 30 is provided for intermittently rotating the carriers 20 and cylinders 21 in half revolutionary incrementsfto establish and shut off communication betwen the inlet or-outlet ports 22 and the inletports 245and outlet ports 25 to ad init gas into one end of the cylinders 21 and toallowthe escapeof gas from the other end thereof. The intermittent movement 30, 1 er rab1y aGeneva movement, includes star r riembers 31and a co-acting member 32. The starniembers are secured to the outer ende of studs 33 which are securedto the Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

cylinders 21 and extend through and are keyed to the trunnions 26 of the carriers 20. The star-coacting member is secured to the spider 9 of the head 3 and has a cylindrical periphery broken at suitable points coacting with the concaved surfaces of the star members. The star-coacting member has an annular flange in which pins 3 1 are slidably mounted, said pins being adapted to enter the radial slots of the star member 31 to rotate the cylinder carriers and cylinders intermittently as the rotor is rotated.

An annular handle 36 is connected to the outer ends of the pins 34: and is slidably mounted on the spider 9 of head 3 by means of which handle the pins are moved into and out of the path of movement of the slotted points of the star wheel 31. The stator is formed with a bypass 40 into which the gas discharges from the cylinders 21 through the carrier ports 22 and rotor port 25. A spark plug 4&1 secured in the stator extends into, the by -pass 4-0 for igniting the gas therein. A'seal composed of a plurality of independent laminations, superimposed one behind the other in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor, is slidably mounted in a tubular bearing 51 on the stator 1 which seal projects through and is maintained in engagement with the periphery of the rotor by means of weights 52 resting on top of the seal, said seal serving to prevent back action of the expanding gas and as a gas reaction area or cross-head to direct the force of the expanding gas against the rotor piston 18. An oil cup 53 is mounted on top of the tubular extension 51 for oiling the seal. he stator is formed with an exhaust 55 having a pair of ports 56 out of registration with the rotor port 25, a wall 57 being interposed between said ports in alinement with the rotor port for maintaining said rotor port closed as the rotor passes the exhaust.-

The particular construction and mounting of the cylinder-carriers are such that the cylinders and carriers may be readily assembled and mounted in the rotor or taken apart and removed for repairs. The carriers comprise a cylindrical shell 60, a casting 61 contained within said shell and a pair of disks 62 and 64 engaging the ends of said shell and secured to the ends of casting 61 by screws 63. The shell 60 is secured to the cylinder casting 61 by screws 64,

1,32 5,ese

properly in position within the rotor receptacles by the engagement of rotor and plates 15 and 16 with the carrier end disks 62 and 63.' The carriers may be removed or introduced into the carrier receptacles 65 when one of the rotor end plates 15 or 16 is removed. The cylinders 21 may be removed from the carriers by unscrewing the disks 62 and 63 and the shells 60 from the cylinder castings and by unscrewing and then withdrawing the cylinder castings longitudinally from the shells.

This invention operates substantially as follows:

Referring to Fig. 1, the driven shaft (3 is given an impulse by the usual method in a clockwise direct-ion the pins 3-1: of the intermittent movement 30 being withdrawn so that cylinder-carriers 20 are free to revolve with the rotor without revolving in their own bearings 27, thus avoiding undue friction on starting. As speed is attained, the throttle is opened and the pins 31 pushed into the path of the star wheels of the intermittent moven'ient, so as to cause the intermittent movement to operate. Cylindercarriers revolve so as to place cylinders in radial position, the piston 28 being held in its position by reason of vacuum behind it and as the cylinder reaches its radial position, inlet port 22 becomes coincident with inlet port 2-1, the piston immediately by centrifugal action moves radially outward with constantly accelerating velocity as its radial distance from shaft 6 of rotor increases thus filling cylinder behind it with combustible fuel mixture. Intermittent movement operates again during the succeeding revolution of the rotor, causing cylinder-carrier to revolve one half revolution. Thus cylinder 21 again re: ches radial position. the piston 28 again being at inner end of the cylinder, with full charge of fuel between it and the periphery of rotor at are 17. The piston again moves radially outward. intaking another charge exactly as before and compressing the charge already ahead of it, the rotor and stator being in packing contact through out arc 17, thereby sealing against escape of gas. As the arc 17 passes the rear end of by-pass 4:0 coincident ports 22 and 25 allow the compressed mixture to escape and flew back so as to fill combustion chamber 18) at the rear end of the arc, the forward portion of the are closing the by-pass to the combustion space in advance of the are. As the. piston reaches its maximum radial distance. thus scavenging all fuel-mixture from the cylinder, the coincident ports 22 and 25 pass the forward end of the bypass 4-0 and rotor and stator again become in packing contact. Immediately a spark is passed to spark plug 41, situated in by-pass i0. The burning fuel in expanding against the portion 18 of the rotor acting as firing-piston forces the rotor lQll to revolve until the burned gases have reached the maximum capacity of the firing cycle, the seal 50 acting as reaction-area or crosshead. As rotation progresses, the

dead gas is allowed to escape through exripheral distance between the point or sep arated peripheral points 17 --1'? however numerous these may be.

The cycle of operation may be accomplished as many times per revolution as there are carriers internally revolving within said rotor in the synchronized and symmetrical relation here shown.

In this specification and the annexed drawing l have disclosed my invention in a desirable form, but I do not limit my invention to such form because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is to be understoodthat in and by the claims following the description herein I intend to cover my invention in whatever form it may be embodied.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.. A rotary motor comprising a stator, a rotor mounted in said stator, a planetary cylinder mounted to revolve with said rotor and to revolve independently of said rotor; a piston in said cylinder operable by com trifugal, force; a portion of the periphery of said rotor and a portion of the wall of said stator forming; a combustion chamber, a firing-piston on said portion of said rotor periphery, means for introducing fuel mixture into said cylinder and compressing said fuel in the cylinder by the centrifugal force exerted by said first mentioned piston; means for allowing the compressed fuel to escape" from the cylinder into said combustion chamber; means for igniting said fuel in said chamber; means for receiving the reaction of the combustion, ,and means for eX- hausting said chamber.

A rotary motor comprislng a stator, a rotor mounted in said stator, said rotor approximatingsealing contact with the internal periphery ofthe stator through an arcuate portion thereof; a portion of the periphery of the rotor elsewhere deviatlng to form a combustion space, a firing-piston on said peripheral portion of the rotor, a seal extending across said combustion space into contact with the periphery oftherotor to form a reaction-area in the rear of said piston; means in said rotor for receiving fuel mixture; means for introducing fuel mixture into said receiving; means, said stator being provided with a bypass in ad vance of said seal, said. rotor being provided with an outlet port in advance of said combustion space for discharging the fuel mixture in said rotor through said by-pass into? said combustion space; means for igniting said fuel mixture,and means for exhausting said combustion space.

Arotary motor comprising a stator, a rotor mountedin said stator, said rotor approximating sealing contact with the internal periphery of said stator through an arcuate portion thereof, a portion of the periphery of the rotor elsewhere deviating to form acombustion space; a firing-piston on said peripheral portion of the rotor; seal extending across said combustion space into contact with the periphery of said rotor and.

adapted to form a reaction-area in the rear of said piston; means in said rotor for receiving fuel mixture and compressing said mixture by centrifugal force, said stator be ing provided with a bypass in advance of said seal, said rotor being provided with an outlet port in advance of said combustion space for discharging the fuel mixture in said rotor through said bypass into said combustion space; means for igniting said fuel mixture and means forexhausting said combustion space.

i. A. rotary motor comprising a stator, a rotor mounted in said stator, a plurality of arcs of the periphery said rotor approximating sealin contact with the internal periphery of said stator, the said rotor elsewhere deviating between said peripheral arcs and forming a plurality of combustion spaces with the peripheral wall of the stator; a firing-piston on each of said periph eral deviations; a seal extending across said combustion spaces into contact with said rotor and adapted to form a reaction-area in the rear of said firing-piston; means insaid rotor forreceiving; fuel mixture, means for introducing fuel mixture into said receiving means, said stator being provided with aby-pass in advance of said seal, said rotor being providedwith outlet ports through said peripheral arcs for discharging fuel mixture through said b y-pass successively into each combustion space at the rear of each outlet port; means for igniting the charge in each combustion space, the forard part of each are closing the forward end of said bypass while the port in the arc dischargesthrough said by-pass into said combustion chamber; and means for exhaustiiig' the products of 1 combustion from said combustion spaces.

Arotary motor comprisinga stator, a

rotor mounted in said stator, an arc of the tion chamber, a planetary cylinder mounted in said rotor, a piston in said cylinder;

means for rotating said cylinder to bring it into functioning radial position; means for introducing fuel into the inner end of said cylinder when the cylinder is in said radial position, said piston moving outward under the influence of centrifugal action simultaneously to intake fuel into the inner end of the cylinder and to compress fuel in its outer end, said rotor being provided with an outlet port to discharge the compressed fuel into said combustion chamber, a seal extending across said combustion space into contact with the rotor, said stator being provided with a bypass in advance of said seal; means for igniting the fuel in said combustion chamber, and means for exhausting said combustion chamber.

6. A rotary motor comprising a stator, a rotor mounted in said stator, a pluralit of arcs of said rotor approximating sea ing contact with the internal periphery of said stator, the periphery of said rotor deviating between said peripheral arcs and forming, with the wall of the stator, a plurality of combustion spaces, a firing-piston on each of .said peripheral deviations, a plurality of planetary cylinders mounted in said rotor; a piston in each of said cylinders; means for rotating said cylinders to bring them into functioning radial position; means for introducing fuel into the inner end of said cylinders when said cylinders are in functioning radial position, said pistons moving outward under centrifugal action and simultaneously intaking fuel into the inner end of the cylinders and compressing the fuel in the outer end of the cylinders; said rotor being provided with a plurality of outlet ports adapted respectively to communicate with the outer end of said cylinders when in functioning radial position to successively discharge the compressed fuel from said cylinders respectively and successively into said combustion chambers; a seal extending across said combustion space into contact with the rotor said stator being provided with a by-pass in advance of said seal; means for successively igniting said fuel in said combustion chambers, and means for exhausting said combustion chambers.

7. A rotary motor comprising a stator, a rotor mounted in said stator, an arc of the periphery of said stator approximating sealing contact with the internal periphery of said stator elsewhere deviating to form, a combustion chamber, said rotor being provided with a cylindrical receptacle, a plane tary cylinder carrier turnably fitting in said receptacle in sealing contact with said receptacle wall, a cylinder carried by said carrier, and rotatable with the carrier, a pair of interchangeable inlet and exhaust ports in said carrier communicating respectively with the ends of said cylinder, said receptacle being provided with an inlet and exhaust port, with which said carrier ports alternately register during rotation of the carrier, means for rotating said cylinder carrier to bring said carrier ports alternately in registration with said receptacle inlet and exhaust ports; means for introducing fuel mixture through said receptacle inlet port and the cylinder port in registration therewith when the cylinder is in functioning radial position; a piston in said cylinder adapted to move outward from the axis of the rotor under the action of centrifugal force when the cylinder is in functioning radial position simultaneously to intake fuel through said receptacle inlet and registering carrier port into the inner end of the cylinder and to compress fuel previously introduced in the outer end of the cylinder; means for enabling the compressed fuel to discharge through the port in the outer end of the cylinder and the receptacle outlet port into said combustion chamber; means for igniting said fuel in said combustion chamber; means for receiving the reaction from the combustion, and means for exhausting the products of combustion from said combustion chamber.

8. A rotary motor comprisng a stator, a rotor mounted in said stator, an arc of the periphery of the rotor approximating sealing contact with the internal periphery of said stator through an arcuate portion thereof elsewhere deviating and forming a con:- bustion chamber with the stator wall. a piston on said periphery deviation; a fuel receiving and discharging device in said rotor; means for introducing fuel into said device when in fuel receiving position: means for enabling said device to discharge the fuel therefrom into said combustion chamber, an intermittent movement for intermittently moving said device into receiving and discharging position; means for igniting said fuel in said combustion chamber; means for receiving reaction from combustion; means for exhausting said chamber. and means for rendering said intermittent movement inoperative.

RAYMOND T. ASHLEY.

Witnesses H. MoL. AnMIs'rnAn, L. J. STELLMA'N. 

